Wednesday, August 29, 2007

15 ’Elul 5767: David’s birthday/More Herbs, Less Salt Day

Greetings.

Divine misconception of the day: “Washington Post, Other Newspapers Won't Run 'Opus' Cartoon Mocking Radical Islam”. Now, while I support the legal right of free speech, including the right of the media to not publish any material they find offensive, there is something hypocritical about refusing to carry this cartoon. After all, Berkeley Breathed, creator of the “Bloom County” family of strips (which includes “Opus”), has repeatedly poked fun at evangelical Christians in his work. The idea that radical Islamists are less worthy of being mocked than evangelical Christians is hard to swallow. Yes, evangelicals are annoying to many people, and their world-view strikes many as bizarre and divorced from reality, but even the most offensive, rabid evangelical is essentially peaceful. The worst they do is intellectual dishonesty and legal hijinks. They do not physically assault or kill anyone to get what they want. Radical Islamists, however, are known to be bent on World domination and kill anyone they can who refuses to submit to their rule. If the evangelicals are worthy of mockery, the radical Islamists are seventy times more worthy of being mocked.

In the name of my freedom of speech, you can find the “offensive” cartoon here. There is a religious misconception in it: Lola Granola is incorrect that radical Islam is a fad. Islam has been spread by the sword ever since Muhammad had to leave Mecca due to ostracism and he started dreaming of revenge. Considering that Lola is flaky enough to have been an “Amish nudist”, that she would consider radical Islam to be a fad is not surprising.

Today’s news and commentary, some of which Barry is responsible for:In honor of the fact that my brother David is an engineer, today’s weird thing is an engineering project, the USB Airsoft Turret 1.0. This in the perfect project for people wishing to shoot copies of The Washington Post and other newspapers that do not carry “Opus” full of holes. Enjoy and share the weirdness.

Aaron

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